One of my favourite treats at this time of the year is my sticky toffee pudding with plenty of caramel sauce and vanilla ice-cream. These puddings are easily frozen so are perfect if you’re needing to prepare for event, or just to have a stock in the freezer.
Cavens Country House is a beautifully restored Georgian house, situated just Kirkbean, that has a number of classic and tasteful rooms as well as a restaurant that celebrates the best local and seasonal produce.
For more information, see: www.cavens.com
Makes 9 or 10 individual puddings.
Ingredients:
For the sponge:
250g dates, pitted
250ml water
½ tsp vanilla paste
Demerara sugar, for coating the moulds
200g dark brown muscovado sugar
65g unsalted butter, softened
200g self-raising flour
1 tbsp black treacle
1 tbsp golden syrup
2 eggs
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
9 or 10 dariole moulds
For the butterscotch sauce:
180g unsalted butter
200g dark brown demerara
500ml double cream
For serving:
Vanilla ice-cream, optional
Method:
1 Pre-heat the oven to 170°C.
2 Start off by making the sponges. Add the pitted dates, water and vanilla paste to a pan and gently simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, then set to one side and cool.
3 Prepare the dariole moulds by buttering the inside and coating with demerara sugar, making sure to shake off any excess sugar. This stops the mixture from sticking to the moulds.
4 In a separate bowl, combine the butter and muscovado sugar together and beat until smooth. Then add the black treacle and golden syrup to the butter and sugar and mix until combined.
5 Next, add the flour to the butter and sugar mix. It should come together and have a bread crumb-like texture. If the mixture is too wet, add some more flour until the desired texture is reached. Then add the eggs and mix until combined.
6 Using a food processor, whizz up the cooled dates, water and vanilla paste mix until smooth. Then add the bicarbonate of soda. Make sure this is evenly distributed throughout the mix.
7 Add the date mixture to the other mixture and combine well. Fill each of the moulds approximately half-full and bake in the pre-heated oven for approximately 20 minutes.
8 While the sponges are baking make the butterscotch sauce. Melt the butter in a pan and add the demerara sugar and cream. Heat until melted and fully combined, making sure to stir regularly.
9 Once the sponges are ready, remove from the oven and turn out into a bowl. Pour over the sauce and immediately serve with a ball of vanilla ice-cream.
In association with Taste Communications, Scotland's food and drink communications company (www.tastecommunications.co.uk).
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